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The Internet has quickly become one of the most popular job-search resources. As a link to the global community, it has revolutionized the way prospective employees search for jobs. Still, it’s not magic; the Internet will not automatically find a job for you. Like any other job search strategy, using the Internet successfully requires effort.
The key to being successful using the Internet is knowing what you want and how to get it. Job seekers should ask themselves some key questions before going online:
- What do I want to do? What skills do I have and what are my interests? (Identifying general activities/tasks rather than job titles can be helpful.)
- Who do I want to work for? What industry interests me? (Target specific companies if possible. Otherwise, consider whether you’d like to work for a Fortune 500 firm, a high-tech enterprise, a startup business, or family-friendly employers.)
- Where do I want to live? Is there a specific city, state, region, or country that interests me? (Think about weather conditions, recreation, and other things that are important to you.)
When looking at various sites, question the information you are viewing.
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- Are the job listings current?
- Who runs the service?
- Is there a fee for use?
- Do you know anyone who has used the service in the past?
Managing time online can be very important during the job search. Here are some tips to help you use your time wisely:
- Begin your online job search by visiting large information databases. Visit every few days; daily visits may be too frequent to locate new information.
- Use links from the large information databases to take you to smaller sites where you can investigate specific employers or find networking contacts. Again, visit these sites every few days.
- Realistically, your Internet job-search strategies should be limited to about 25% of the total time used to look for employment. Don’t neglect conventional job-search strategies, such as:
- Perusing newspaper want ads and checking employer web sites.
- Participating in on-campus interviews and checking the job listings for the Mohave County area.
- Conducting information interviews.
One recent graduate spent all his time on the Internet looking for employment; he was unemployed for six months. One day while talking with a friend, he learned about a job opening in his town that had been available for two months. He hadn’t heard of the opening because it was not posted on the Internet.
The Internet is a tool, and like all tools, it is only as good as the skill and diligence of the user. Many new users of this technology become frustrated or overwhelmed by the size and constantly changing nature of Internet job-search sites. However, patience and dedication can pay big rewards when you find the job of your dreams.
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